Concealed Carry Surge Leads To Budget Deficit In Florida

[Charlie T Waite]

The state of Florida has processed so many applications for concealed carry licenses in the past year that the fund used to help pay for the background checks is now nearly out of money. Lawmakers in Tallahassee will consider a budget request from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Licensing this week to cover a deficit that’s expected to reach more than $4-million this year.

“The Division of Licensing is experiencing the largest volume of concealed weapon license applications in the program’s history,” information prepared for the commission meeting said. “The 203,000 background checks billed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the first six months of this year translates to an annual total of 400,000 background checks through June 30th, substantially above any prior fiscal year total.”

https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2021/02/15/concealed-carry-budget-deficit-florida-n41046